


Song On Repeat, No Time To Eat

by Rhidee



Series: Fighting For A Better Today [1]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Autistic Angus, I just wanted there to be one fic where OCD is a thing so here we are, OCD Character, Taako has OCD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-23 00:17:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11978121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhidee/pseuds/Rhidee
Summary: Taako washed his hands.





	Song On Repeat, No Time To Eat

Taako was off kilter for all of his life. He felt numbers under his skin, itching, but he couldn't remember which one he was looking for. He was missing something, something big.  A number.

He had to wash his hands.  He didn't know why.  If he didn't wash his hands...someone would get hurt.  Who?  He didn't remember.  He had to wash his hands.  He couldn't wash his hands now, he had to focus, had to study this spell.  Wash his hands.

Taako stood up. 

He washed his hands.

He had to wash his hands.

He washed his hands.

He dried them wrong, he did it wrong, he had to do it right.

He washed his hands.

Was the soap gone?  Was it really gone?  It didn't feel gone.

He washed his hands.

His fingers were pruned, it felt wrong, it felt wrong, he had to wash his hands.

Taako straightened, turned away from the sink, and washed his hands in the bathtub.

And relaxed.

Fuck.  He'd looped again.

He looked at his hands, rubbed red and dry.  Then around the small caravan he'd called home, cluttered of odds and ends he'd found tossed out.  To the lotions, organized by color, the only sign of order in the room.  He was running low on the Tuesday lotion.

"Taako?  You ready?  It's almost showtime!"  Sazed called through the door, rapping a tune on it.

"Coming darling!" 

Taako quickly squirted some lotion on his hands and left the caravan.

 

\---

 

The bar was loud, and Taako forgot why he had come in instantly.  He went over to the bar, asked for a convincing glass of water, and sat off to the side surveying the area.  Oh, yeah, muscle.  

Taako rubbed the ends of his long sleeves as he scanned the room for the biggest, most sympathetic looking guy there.  

The bar was loud, and Taako forgot why he had come in instantly.  So he left, still needing something, but he didn't remember what.  Maybe it was just the weather.

He always got loopy this time of year.

 

\---

 

Merle liked to think of himself as a pretty perceptive guy.  One has to be, to be a man of the cloth ya know!  Need to be able to perceive all of the hidden gifts Pan delivers you.  Why, just this morning he had seen a flower hit the rising sun just right, hinting at a day of clarity ahead.

So of course he'd noticed the bits of Taako that seemed a bit odd.  Taako seemed to have trouble understanding way more often than him intentionally being a dick, but Merle let him have that.  He was kind of an asshole most of the time too, no shame in it.  And Taako seemed to take longer in the bathroom than everyone else, and got insanely irritable if someone changed the days schedule on an impulse.  And, it didn't happen often, but sometimes Merle'd go down for some reason or the other, and see him in the kitchen checking the food in the fridge.  He always got real skittish when he was seen doing that.

So Merle was no stranger to Taako acting well, a bit off.  So when Taako asked him to go down and buy a whole bunch of quilts, he just ran with it.  Went right down to some small town with just a shitton of sheep, and got as many as he could carry.  Dumped them right down by Taako's door and knocked politely and everything.

When Taako came out, he looked a mess.  His hair was everywhere, clumped grossly by grease.  He didn't say anything, and tugged the blankets into his room before quickly shutting the door.

"Hey, what about my payment!?"

Merle huffed and softened.  Must have been his off day or something.  Merle shrugged, and waddled away to raid the kitchens.

 

\---

 

Taako sat, deep under the quilts, and rubbed the brim of his hat.  The pressure, darkness and silence slowly calming him.  He focused on how quiet it was, how warm, how soft yet firm the pressure was.  And he relaxed.  Dried out hands carefully wiggled out of the pile, the cold of outside unpleasant, and he brought in some lotion.  Lavender, soft, clean.  

He put on some lotion, rubbing it until it was all even and no longer clumped, and quietly breathed.  

His room silent, a place of stillness on the moon base.  Outside, people trained, played, chatted.  On planet, they fought and ran and farmed, a million people doing a million things, each with their own lives and thoughts and ideas. 

But here, Taako was alone.  Taako was safe.

It's nice to be safe.

 

\---

 

Angus was, nice.  He never seemed to mind when a few extra motions slipped into his magic lessons.  Seemed to understand, in a sort of way.  Not the same way.   But that sometimes, your body speaks for you.  And that eye contact is hard.  Seriously, what's the deal with eye contact?  It's always either too much or too little, or they notice you're looking just slightly away and say something and- anyway, Angus seemed to understand.  

Making the macaroons was hard.  He measured everything, again and again and again and again and again and a- until he could calm down enough to break it.  Switching it until a new measuring cup.  He got twice the dishes dirty, but luckily it didn't take too long.  He tested them for poison.  And again quickly before giving them out.  And again right before Angus took one.

It was fine.  He was fine.

 

\---

 

Magnus was great, honestly.  He listened when Taako needed space, and was always ready to give one of those great, even pressure hugs when asked.  It was just, well.  Magnus was a people person.  And he really liked settings with a lot of people.  And Taako couldn't always take that.  He couldn't randomly go to a bar, and just be fine.  It drained him, the noise, the people, the heavy smells and damp air.  It was bad sensory all the way down.  But, Magnus loved it.  He loved talking, loved the heady scent of ale and perfume, loved being close to people, even strangers.  Magnus was great, honestly.  He just didn't get why Taako didn't want to come.

"Come on Taako, it'll be great!  They are lowering the prices on the Fantasy Daiquiri's and everything, you'd love it!"  Magnus insisted, bouncing around and getting ready.

"Yo...Taako's good out here.  You go ahead, I need to stay here, work on my memoirs, you know how it is my dude."  

Magnus huffs, grabbing his fantasy fanny pack and leaving without another word.

Taako stares for a bit.  At the grain of the door, and at Magnus' shoes, still by the door.  He sighed, and left before Magnus could come back and apologize and grab his shoes.

 

\---

 

How could he forget _Lup_?  His sister, his best friend, his _second half_.  His hands danced out a jittery pain, and Magnus silently placed his hat in his hands.  Taako wrung it and stared, hurt and angry, at the director.  The bureau of balance was never safe, was it?  He stood, silent, focusing on the feel of his hat in his hands.  Took a deep breath.

And raised his umbrastaff.

"Ten."

 

\---

 

After the hunger was gone, after they were finally safe, Taako stood in his kitchen with Lup.  Like two planets orbiting each other, they moved in harmony as they put together a delicious celebration cake.

Angus, sitting on the counter nearby, happily flapped and watched them in awe.  He was in school,  this year.  He was smarter than his peers, but he was still making such good friends.  Playing, as a kid should, without a care in the world.  And now, smiling and stimming freely, he was with his two favorite people, united, who would do anything to protect him.  And each other.

Together, side by side at last, Lup and Taako put the pan in the oven.  Smiled, elated and free, two twin suns meeting, and closed the oven.  

Cleaned up, bit by bit,  switching between gathering and cleaning, putting everything in the fridge orderly.  Magnus coming in to steal some licks of the batter.  Merle following behind, rolling his eyes, leaving quick, but not quick enough to hide his smile. 

Taako washes his hands.  Once.  Twice.  Then smiles.

And goes to chat with his sister, safe, sound, and at peace.

**Author's Note:**

> fuck yeah guess who finally managed a oneshot with a good number of words, its a me! hell yes


End file.
